


Devil's In The Details

by kelex



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Afterlife, Banter, M/M, Murder, Suicide, fa la la it's off to Hell we go, nothing graphic though, reading of the sins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-11 20:39:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7906924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelex/pseuds/kelex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will and Hannibal go to Hell and find a familiar face sitting on the throne.  It's really not who they expected to find.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Devil's In The Details

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JawnsJumper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JawnsJumper/gifts).



> JawnsJumper prompted me with, "But what if Frederick Chilton is the actual devil?"

Will Graham was pretty sure he was dead. He’d just gotten knifed in the heart, and there really wasn’t any coming back from that. Small comfort that it had been Hannibal behind the blade, bigger comfort that he was still warm from Hannibal’s arterial spray covering his face and throat. Jack Crawford had been downstairs, only moments away, and they’d both realized there was no escape.

“You better find me, you son of a bitch,” had been Will’s last words before Hannibal’s knife had pierced his heart.

“I would never leave you alone,” was Hannibal’s, just before he dragged that same knife across his own throat. The arterial spray had warmed Will’s face, and that was it for the last of his memories.

A soft chime that sounded like an elevator had Will looking around; he realized he was in some kind of antechamber or waiting room, and yes, that had been an elevator arriving. The doors parted to reveal Hannibal Lecter, and they met in the middle of the room.

“Oh, isn’t that sweet. Welcome to Hell, gentlemen. If you’ll follow me right this way, I’m sure we can get you settled in no time. Quickly, if you please, I’ve got an appointment that I can’t be late for.” 

Hannibal and Will exchanged glances, and then as one stared at the man in front of them. No horns were in sight, nor a tail that they could see, but everything else fit. Oily little smile more at home on the face of a snake charmer than a man–although given where they were, chances are he wasn’t a man. A nicely-tailored suit, in red of course, with a white button-down and a red tie. A silver cane and red shoes finished the outfit, and the creature’s fingers caressed the cane’s head with impatience. "Oh, what, am I not who you expected? I imagine this makes you wish you’d been much kinder to me in retrospect, does it not?“ Frederick Chilton smiled at both men. "I have to say, it’s been a pain in the ass pretending to burn in the Dragon’s fiery wheelchair. First time I’ve been warm in decades.”

“Frederick… you’re the Devil?” On the one hand, Will was shocked, absolutely bowled over. He’d been almost 100% certain that he’d find Hannibal’s ass perched on the flaming throne once they got down here. Instead?

Hell was being run by a second-rate psychiatrist who obviously had revenge issues. 

Not that it was going to be fun, at any rate, but Will had the distinct feeling things were going to get a whole lot worse.

“Please, step through into Processing. Chop-chop, we haven’t got all day.” Frederick swept a hand through the air in a complicated gesture, and the wall behind them split open like scenery to reveal… “Frederick, that looks a great deal like your office.”

“That’s because it is my office. Down here, at any rate. Upstairs, it’s a bit of a different story, but now that you’re out of the way, all I have to do is move Alana out and I’ll be back where I belong.” Frederick stretched himself out on the couch, and used his cane to point at the two chairs shimmering into being beside the couch. "Please, be seated. Hannibal, let’s start with you. You have been a very, very bad boy.“ 

"On the contrary. I have done nothing that God has not done himself, in a larger sense. God kills as I do; randomly, or to punish. God consumes sacrifices, just as I do. God had one angel he loved above all others–you would know about that, yes?– as do I. I would argue that you have nothing to judge me for.” 

Will scrubbed his face with both hands. Only Hannibal would have a theological rebuttal for the fact that they’d ended up in Hell, and in fact should be knocking on the so-called Pearly Gates. "Hannibal, I don’t think–“

"No, Will, it’s quite all right. I don’t mind being reminded that the Creator is a treasonous and fickle being. I’m well aware of that all the time, and in fact, it is those very Godly qualities that I strained to embody in my earthly guise. Well, _current_ earthly guise,” he allowed. "I’ve had a few.“

Hannibal could equate himself with a God he didn’t believe in all damn day long, but it wasn’t going to make a shit’s bit of difference. "I think you’re wasting your breath, Dr. Lecter.” 

“Absolutely you are, but do please feel free to continue. I’m quite interested.”

Hannibal scowled at the idea he was basically wasting his words, but he was almost compelled to finish his point. "As to the point I made, I merely point out that unless you have dominion over God to judge him as you would judge me for the same, then you have no right to judge me.“

"Hannibal.” Frederick put a hand over his mouth, though it was obvious he was hiding laughter. "You **frame** me for murders that **you** committed. I don’t exactly recall God ever shirking His holy duty.“ 

"I would argue that, given the state of the world today, he is even as we speak neglecting His holy duty, as you say.” Hannibal sat back in the chair, crossing his legs at the knee and resting his hands on his stomach.

“You do realize that Free Will was included in the Build-A-Human kit, yes?” Frederick’s grin was widening every second. "Which means that despite the Word of God that has been given, despite the death of His only Son, humanity has chugged right along, screwing up everything quite enjoyably. Therefore, unless you’ve had to sacrifice a child for the good of the world…“

"Abigail was a sacrifice,” Will countered softly. "Maybe nothing more than on the altar of anger, but she was sacrificed to build a road that I could follow to find Hannibal.“

"Are you honestly going to compare Abigail Hobbs to Jesus Christ?”

Actually? "Yes.“

Frederick’s grin had widened to the point where it was literally curling behind his ears and off his face, and he forced himself to rein his amusement back in. "All right. So we have Hannibal as God and Abigail Hobbs as Jesus Christ. Where do you fit into this potential trinity, Will?”

“I don’t,” he admitted. "I’m nothing more than Judas Iscariot. No matter how many times I’ve betrayed him… he’s always loved and forgiven me. It could be said he died for me, even.“

"Not before killing you.” 

“It was an either-or situation. Either he killed me and then himself, or I kill him and then myself. I wanted Hannibal to kill me, no one else. After everything I’ve done to him, he’s earned it.”

“Everything **you** have done to **him?** You poor, deluded fool. What about everything he has done to you?” Frederick leaned forward, more curious than he wanted to admit about it. 

“I forgave him. Years ago, in the deep darkness of the Norman catacombs, I forgave him,” Will said calmly. "There was little else I could do, but even if I’d had a choice, I’d have forgiven him. There was nothing he could do, either.“ 

"Except take the forgiveness that was offered, and offer my own to Will likewise,” Hannibal finished. "Forgiveness is too large a concept for one person. There must be two people, the betrayer and the betrayed. We both suffered; we betrayed each other and were betrayed by each other. There was no question that he would be forgiven, as there was no question he would offer me that same forgiveness.“

"On the edge of a knife,” Frederick pointed out. 

“Yes. As God forgives in death, Will meant to kill me. As God forgives in death, I meant to kill him. Neither of us were successful, yet the forgiveness remained.”

Frederick was chewing on a pen to keep the uncouth shout of _bullshit!_ in his head where it belonged. After a moment, he found he could speak without shouting it out. "Nice try. And I do thank you for the chance to brush up on my double-talk. But when it comes down to it, between the two of you, you’ve broken every single one of the Big Ten.“ 

"Excuse me.” Hannibal raised a chiding finger. "You are mistaken. We are not adulterers. We have never been unfaithful to each other.“

"I said between you. Adultery belongs to our dear Mr. Graham, in the form of Molly Foster Graham. You remember Molly, don’t you, Will?”

“I divorced her.”

“After you and Hannibal had emotion-wrenching and soul-shattering sex through the bars of his cell,” Frederick added with full smugness. "And I knew about that even when I was upstairs.“

Neither lost soul had anything to say about that. 

"Do we need to go through the whole list?” Frederick sighed, and pulled out a pair of round reading glasses, then unfurled the scroll on his desk. "Here we go. “ _Thou shalt have no other gods before me._ Well, that’s obvious.” He moved down a bit. "Ah, _thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, blah blah blah_ Okay, I think Mr. Murder Tableau over there blew that one out of the water.“ More scrolling down. ” _Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain._ Well, I would give you a pass on that one.“ 

He scrolled over halfway down, skimming over every time they’d used the Lord’s name in vain. It took up a lot of parchment. "Here we go, _Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy_. The number of times you’ve fucked on Sundays sends that one to the bin. Next, _honor thy father and mother._ ” 

He looked over the rim of his glasses at both of them. "No comment. _Thou shalt not kill._ Really? Next. Adultery, we covered that, but I’d like to point out that Will? Fantasizing that it’s Hannibal fucking you when you’re in bed with your wife? Also adultery, just for future reference. _Thou shalt not steal._ Shockingly, neither of you butchered that one too badly. Bearing false witness? Let’s really not revisit the number of lies you told.“ 

Frederick scrolled down a solid four feet of parchment, wherein all the lies had been enumerated. "Lastly, coveting. Hannibal, this one’s all you, although, Will, you should be proud of the coveting you did.” He let the scroll roll back up into his palm. "In common parlance? You’re fucked.“

Hannibal, despite their situation, had a distinct look of pride about him, and Will was not meeting his eyes. In fact, Graham had the distinct air of grumpiness around him, and Frederick nearly offered a hand to the shoulder. 

"You thought about me, Will?” Hannibal was staring at Will, fully expecting an answer.

Will refused to give him the satisfaction, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Hannibal switched his attention to Frederick. "Yes, well, Will and Molly were very… experimental. She obtained the equipment necessary, and routinely drove Will right to the edge of frustration. He quite often imagined it was you taking care of him, and not Miss Molly.“

"I fucking hate you, Frederick.”

“You should be made aware, Will, all privacy laws and rights are abrogated at the moment of death. That means any secrets? Open season.”

Will shook his head. "I have respect. If there’s anything Hannibal wants to tell me, he’ll tell me.“ The implication? Hannibal had no respect for him because he was exploiting the loophole.

Hannibal stiffened as if he’d been struck, but he did not ask any other questions.

Frederick raised an eyebrow. Will apparently had Hannibal trained, and that was an accomplishment that needed rewarding, somehow. "I tell you what. I need to spend a little more time upstairs, and as you can see, Intake and Processing are both woefully understaffed. In lieu of fiery circles and torments you’d probably get off on, I’m assigning you both here, manning the desk for new arrivals. Hannibal, you will personally report to me every evening.” Just because he’d hate it more, being forced into subordination. 

Frederick rose, assignment made, and entered it onto the scroll. It disappeared, and he headed to the door. "Do behave, you two.“

He made another set of complex hand motions in the air, and the elevator reappeared. He got in, and the doors closed behind him. 

Will exhaled, and reached for Hannibal’s hand. Hannibal was already reaching for him, and they met in the middle, leaning against Frederick’s desk. "I thought he was going to separate us,” Will breathed into Hannibal’s neck, only letting himself relax in Hannibal’s arms.

“Only if he wanted the walls of Hell itself torn down, because I would not be away from you for long.” Hannibal stroked Will’s hair gently, nuzzling into the dark, wavy mass. When he didn’t feel the corresponding warmth, his entire body stiffened.

“What is it?” Will asked, feeling the sudden tension in Hannibal’s spine. 

“I do believe Frederick has played one last trick upon us,” he answered, explaining by merely unzipping his trousers. 

Will did a double-take, and then did the same. They were both formed rather like Ken dolls, with contours of flesh but absolutely nothing functional, fore or aft.

The laughter spilling out of the elevator as it finally began to move was all they heard until it had reached its destination.

End


End file.
